


Drawn To The Blood

by glittermilk



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, Blow Jobs, Come Swallowing, Forced Orgasm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Marking, Masochism, Multiple Orgasms, Plot, Rimming, Spit As Lube, Teasing, Violence, too much plot really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 08:02:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11710224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glittermilk/pseuds/glittermilk
Summary: After kidnapping the new arrival to Maple Bay, Joseph is confined to the dungeon underneath the cul-de-sac. Meanwhile, Robert and Mary are forced to continue to care for their possessed friend until they can decide on what to do with him.





	Drawn To The Blood

**Author's Note:**

> the truth is i just wanted to write more demon joseph :9  
> title is based off of a beautiful song that perfectly sums up roberts feelings during this fic!! but all the songs including that one are linked at the end
> 
> enjoy!!

"So when are we going to talk about Joseph?"

"When are we _not_ gonna talk about Joseph, huh, Mary? Oh yeah, right now."

Robert had been trying to cut down on his drinking lately. Tonight was his night off. 

He didn't notice Mary raise an eyebrow at him, twice as drunk as she was though he didn't doubt she would catch up if he gave her half a chance. Maybe that was a good idea, since she was currently so intent on bringing up the one thing he was here to forget.

"Robert Small. I can and will kick your ass."

"I can kick my own ass, thank you very much."

Mary grabbed the man by the hair, tugging his head back and practically peeling his face off of the table.

"Nngh...alright, alright. What, you gonna stab me too?"

Robert's far too audible complaints were punished with a tug at his scalp but he just gently slapped Mary's hand away, leaning into his hand and only half trying to be alert.

"Can we at least accept that he's getting worse now?" She continued.

"Mm-nmn...s'fine."

"Alright, okay. Robert. Enlighten me on which part of this is fine. The part where the new guy got kidnapped and nearly eaten? The part where we have a literal demon chained up under the cul-de-sac? Am I missing something here?"

The concern in Mary's tone was just enough to persuade Robert to confront the matter at last, letting out a sigh in acceptance of the fact that they were- to put it colloquially- in deep shit.

"Yeah, you're right."

"You're goddamn right, I'm right." Mary muttered into her glass, taking a triumphant mouthful of wine. "But sadly that's not what we're here to talk about."

"So what's the plan, brains?"

"I...didn't get that far yet." Suddenly Mary sounded a lot less certain, and that helped to sober Robert up as they conversed at the back of Jim and Kim's. He let out a groan, running a hand over his face as he pushed his finished whiskey away. Mary had always been the smartest one out of the three of them back in the day, always ready to rub a genius plan on Robert and Joseph's faces. He couldn't blame her for being stumped now, though. They had attempted countless different methods to deal with the 'Joseph Problem' once and for all and at best they had managed to contain it. The demon housed inside the minister had been getting stronger for a while now, gradually becoming a more prominent feature of Joseph's personality. If Robert had ever denied that fact (and he was sure that Mary could bring up five such occasions right this instant) it was just because he was scared. They were running out of options. The incident with the new neighbor, whilst abnormal, was only a symptom to a growing problem. 

"Listen, I'm working on it, okay?" Mary continued, "I have about five more of those dusty fucking tomes to get through and it feels like I've regained my virginity just from reading them."

"Well once we sort all this mess out we can...mmn, delegate the book-reading to Joseph again."

"What, you thought I was doing this for any other reason?"

Robert managed to force out a chuckle at that one, and for a moment the two seemed content to drink in silence. 

"Robert," Mary continued suddenly, "when was the last time you...y'know..."

Robert hesitated, letting his friend take another sip so that she would be in a minutely better mood when he next spoke.

"Mnn...not since the incident."

"Robert. Honey. Sweetie. That was three days ago."

"And? Seemed he'd gotten pretty full from the newbie when we left him down there."

Robert had tried to disguise the jealousy in his tone but he was far too drunk for that. Was he angry at the new guy for getting involved with Joseph? Maybe a little. He knew how seductive the minister could be when he tried though and the poor newbie couldn't have had any idea what he was getting into. No, somehow the source of the hurt was Joseph. Robert had been the only one to feed him from the very beginning and now- what- that wasn't enough anymore? He knew it was idiotic to think like that, to hope that Joseph's mind was even capable of favouring Robert, but it seemed his self-awareness didn't make a difference to how he felt. 

"Alright, can I talk to adult male Robert for a second, not teenage girl Robert? Please. Just for a second."

"Buy me a drink."

"Fine."

"Buy me two drinks."

"Fuck you."

Robert closed his eyes, inhaling through his nose as he contemplated the idea of having to face Joseph.

"Nnn...tomorrow, okay? I'll check on him tomorrow."

"Correct answer." Mary huffed, drinking more abundantly now that the issue of Joseph had been discussed at least in the short term. "Otherwise I'm telling the newbie the truth and having him replace you as dinner. I'm serious."

"Hi serious," Robert began to instantly reply."

"Rob--"

"I'm"

"Don't--"

"Going to lie down."

Folding his arms on the table, Robert nestled into his makeshift pillow. Mary balanced her wineglass on the back of his head. 

\--

He's driving. The sun is warming up the leather seats of the truck. Let's Stay Together is playing quietly over the speakers and the most perfect man Robert's ever met is sat in the passenger seat. 

"No, no, listen." Robert tries to interject through Joseph's laughter, grinning just as wide as the other man is. " _You're_ Fred, I'm Daphne."

"Why?" The minister asks. 

"Because you're blond and annoying."

"No, I mean," Joseph is laughing again. "Why are _you_ Daphne?"

"Oh, because we both know karate. Obviously."

"She doesn't know karate. _You_ don't know karate!"

"Yeah, buddy. It was in the movie. And I'm pretty sure I could break out a few moves if I had to."

"The only thing you'd break is your back, grandpa."

Robert turns his eyes away from the road to look at the other man, the blond sunk into his seat with his arms folded across his chest and smirking as deviously as a guy like him could manage. He then checks the roots of his hair in the rear-view mirror, running fingertips through his dark locks. He remembers plucking out a silver strand a few days ago.

"Watch it, punk." He growls in mock-warning. 

"Are you sure you're not just drawing this comparison because you want us to smooch?" Joseph asks innocently, and Robert makes a face.

"Did you just use the word 'smooch'? Like you actually just forced me to hear that?"

They pull in to the diner's parking lot. Robert turns off the engine.

"But yes." He continues, and suddenly he's leaning over the passenger seat and laying kisses into Joseph's warm neck. "There _is_ that."

The blond is giggling, but when Robert leans back its suddenly night out. The summer heat has triggered a storm that's showering the van in violent raindrops. The music isn't playing any more. 

Robert finds himself babbling Latin he's only half certain of, and some kind of black liquid is seeping out of Joseph's mouth as he lies limp in his seat. His eyes are unnaturally sunken, the sockets bruised, but somehow he's still laughing. Mary is sitting in the back, black streaks of make-up streaking down her face from where she's been crying. She isn't any more, though, and she looks Robert dead in the eyes. 

"Robert, you need to feed him."

He wakes up from the nightmare with his body drenched in cold sweat. It takes hours before he finally falls back to sleep.

\--

Robert woke up on the couch wearing the same clothes that he'd been in the day before. At this point, dealing with a hangover was just another part of his daily routine. Since he was trying to be slightly less of an alcoholic as of late, though, it had been a while since he'd felt _this_ bad. He groped blindly for something to ease him into the day, refusing to open his vulnerable eyes to the sunlight just yet. When he caught a bottle of pills in his grasp he tossed a few into his mouth, swallowing them down with a nearby bottle of _water_ , not vodka. Maybe this sobriety thing wasn't as difficult as he'd originally thought. 

He spent a few hours fully regaining consciousness and mobility, accepting that the throb in his temple and the twist in his gut weren't going to disappear any time soon. He picked meekly at a half-eaten pizza that had been left out for way too long, leaning on his kitchen counter and staring at the doorway into his living room. It was probably best to just get his dreaded task out of the way first, then he could laze around for the rest of the day with his worries less of a weight on his mind. Besides, all that alcohol was probably still very much in his body and he didn't want Joseph to have a good meal. It wasn't really fair on the guy, but Robert was still bitter about the new neighbor and he wanted to be mean .

Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the doorway to the other room and suddenly he was in a stone tunnel. He couldn't count the number of times he'd accidentally stumbled into this place when the thought of it had been too prominent in his head. He found the concept of a place existing only when you expected it to kind of stupid, but on the bright side it kept others from getting accidentally involved. At least, up until now.

With the route to the main chamber of the caves memorised, Robert made a few turns and finally made it to Joseph.

He was still in the exact place they'd left him in. They'd tried to make sure he was at least comfortable until they decided what to do next, slipping a mattress beneath him and making sure the shackles around his wrists weren't _too_ tight. They'd even changed him out of those robes, putting him in a pair of slacks but leaving him shirtless so they could more easily attend to his wound. The blond still looked a bit worse for wear though, his skin even paler than usual and a bloodied bandage wrapped under his arm and over his shoulder from where Mary had stabbed him. When Robert got a little closer he opened his eyes weakly and smiled, trying to sit up but hindered by the pain of his wound.

"Robert..."

"That not heal up yet, buddy?" Robert murmured with his lips now wrapped around a cigarette that he'd found in his back pocket. There was already a chair waiting down here that he pulled up, sitting on it backwards so he could lean on the back.

Joseph shook his head, licking his dry lips and eyeing the other man in a way that was impossible to misinterpret as anything but hunger.

"Too...weak..." Was as much of an explanation as he could give.

"Yeah, yeah." Robert lit his smoke. "It's okay, I'm here now."

After taking a few puffs of tobacco, he got to his feet again and stepped closer to the minister. Joseph's lips parted as Robert revealed a selection of knives hidden on the inside of his jacket, watching as he picked one at random and weighed it in his rough hand.

"Please..." The minister was starting to beg, leaning forward in a futile attempt to get closer. Robert was admittedly hesitant, more hesitant than he'd felt doing this in a long time. Sure, Joseph's hands were tied, but those sharpened canines could still do a lot of damage if he chose to do so.

"Are you going to behave?" He asked, as though patronising a child, tapping the steel of the blade against his other palm.

"Mmm..."

"Good enough, I guess."

Robert stepped closer, close enough that Joseph could press his face against the other man's stomach in a frenzied attempt to kiss his skin through his shirt. Robert tried to ignore that, picking the best spot on his skin for another scar. He'd admittedly starved his friend for a little longer than he'd meant to, so he'd have to cut deep to make up for it. He eventually placed the knife against the outside edge of his palm, slicing slowly and deliberately until he felt his flesh split under the pressure of the sharp edge. After years of this he was used to the initial pain so he didn't falter, instead simply watching as crimson red rushed to the surface of his skin.

"Please...please..." Joseph was still begging beneath him, the sudden smell of iron probably driving him crazy. He flexed his shoulders, and for a moment the minister's tattoo caught Robert's eye. It was exactly the same as his, but Joseph's was ruined by a long scar that split the black circle in two. He tried to ignore it. Waiting until the blood from his cut had begun to trail down his wrist, he finally offered his hand out, the other man gasping as he pressed his lips to the wound.

"Nnh, hey, I said behave." Robert grunted around the cigarette still between his lips, the blond already sucking painfully at the cut and making the bleeding worse. Soon it was spilling over Joseph's lips as he moaned and purred, his tongue beginning to stray away from the source of the bleeding and tracing the length of Robert's arm to catch any straggling droplets. He could never quite get used to watching the minister like this, all desperate and mindless as he lapped at Robert's blood like it was the only thing he wanted to think about. Right now, it probably was. The colour was already returning to his cheeks and now that he was at least slightly satisfied he paused, looking up at Robert with tired eyes and wet, bright red lips.

"This tastes kinda...bad." The blond admitted, clearly referencing the ungodly amount of alcohol the other man had consumed the night before.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Robert retorted, making a display of moving his hand away and showing off a fresh bead of blood with a squeeze of his fist. "Didn't realise you'd become a _gourmet_ all of a sudden. Let me go find you a nice virgin, shall I?"

"Mnn, come on Rob. You know I still love your filthy sinner blood." The guy's charm was back now too, it seemed. "It's like when you grill a burger for too long and the outside is all charred but that somehow makes it better, y'know?"

"Huh. I'll take your word for it." 

He offered out his hand again and Joseph got back to feeding. He was more gentle this time, almost as though apologising for his previous comment, but Robert knew the guy better than that. He was on his way to satisfying one of his hungers, so now the demon was starting to think about the other one. The two made eye contact as Joseph kissed at Robert's bloodied palm and it was the latter man that finally gave in and looked away. There was no point in pretending he wasn't a little bit flustered- he always seemed to get like this.

It was only when the wound began to clot that Joseph finally stopped, purring to highlight his satisfaction and catching his lower lip in his teeth to clean the mess made of his mouth. As he tongued at the rest of the blood on his face Robert grabbed some bandages that had been left from a few days ago, wrapping his palm up tightly and flexing his fingers.

"I missed you." Joseph said suddenly, drawing a sardonic scoff out of the other man.

"Missed my blood, you mean."

"No, I missed _you_."

Robert still had to remind himself to ignore this sort of thing. Joseph wasn't Joseph anymore. He still had the same face though, the same voice, and sometimes with the way he spoke it was almost as though nothing had happened. The incident with the new neighbour was a reminder that he couldn't afford to think like that.

"Right, well, let's see how that wound of yours is doing."

He sat down next to the other man, running fingers over his bandaged shoulder and carefully peeling the fabric away. He revealed the damaged skin just in time to watch it sew itself back shut, though it left a line of pink, raised flesh in its wake.

"Huh. Looks like it's gonna scar."

Normally any damage the blond took was healed cleanly and instantly, but it seemed the delay in his feeding had taken its toll. It was lucky that hadn't recieved any mortal wounds, he might not have survived otherwise.

"Why did Mary stab me?" Joseph asked suddenly, sounding vulnerable and confused. 

"Shit, Joseph. You don't remember?" Robert was talking more softly too, now, trying to ignore the tell-tale ache in his heart that meant he was taking the conversation too personally again. "You tried to eat a guy, pal. Started going on about some eternal king or some shit, you don't remember that?"

"Yeah...but..."

The minister's brow was furrowed, the part of him not consumed by the demon struggling to understand the part of him that was. Robert couldn't even imagine how unbearable this whole thing must have been for him.

"Hey, it's okay now." Robert soothingly ran his wounded hand over Joseph's forehead and through his hair. 

"So you'll let me go?"

"Uh...not exactly." He got to his feet.

"Well can you at least--"

"Nope. Not happening."

Joseph's tone had changed now, low and sultry and completely unlike him. Robert watched the blond nuzzle his thigh, trying to be as seductive as possible though that was difficult without the proper use of his hands.

"Pleaaaase? It'll only take five minutes and--"

"Okay, first of all: five minutes? Ouch. Uncalled for. Secondly," Robert stepped away, planting one foot on the seat of the chair so he could lean on his knee. "I know what you got up to on that boat, so don't even try it with me, mister."

Robert and Mary had perfected Joseph's feeding routine through years of trial and error, finding out the hard way that the wrong balance of nutrition could have disastrous consequences. The demon needed blood every other day otherwise Joseph's health would begin to decline, and whilst normally Robert would supply it he would sometimes have to use animals- which nobody was happy about- when the sustained blood-loss started to make him feel ill. Joseph's secondary hunger was a more complicated matter, and while he would still suffer if it wasn't sated, if Robert was too generous the demon would grow dangerously powerful. It wasn't just a case of timing, either, but also of willpower. Robert was only human, after all, and the blond somehow always found ways to get what he wanted. 

"It was nice, you know." Joseph continued, detecting the bitterness in the other man's tone. "On the yacht, I mean."

"...Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I could hear all his thoughts, everything he wanted me to do but was too scared to say. I wish I had that with you."

"Mmhm, okay. End of conversation."

The tattoo on Robert's hand was the only thing that kept Joseph's demonic forces at bay, and probably the only reason they had made it this far without one or all of them dying. He'd even carved the symbol in discreet places around the town so that he was essentially bound to Maple Bay, though seemingly the symbol wasn't stopping him from attacking people any more.

"Listen," Robert continued, slowly making his way towards the exit of the chamber. "I won't leave you as long this time, okay? I'll be back in a couple days and we can talk about this then."

"Nooo, _Robbie_!" The demon was moaning his name so it was time to leave. "It's so boring down here without you, why don't we have some fun, huh?"

Robert turned a corner and then another, and as Joseph's voice grew more and more distant he was suddenly back in his living room. 

"Fuck," He hissed, finally able to address how much his damaged hand was stinging. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd stopped bleeding he'd probably be worried, but now the only evidence of blood loss were the streaks of orange-brown that had been spread across his forearm by the movements of Joseph's tongue. Jumping back on the couch, he grabbed his phone and sent Mary a few texts.

**the dark deed is done**

**now our pet demon is happy**

**well not happy**

**but**

**yknow**

**he wont die at least**

He'd almost fallen asleep again before he received a response, holding his phone on his chest so he could read it.

_sweeeeet_

_you did it_

_you did the thing_

A photo of some huge, red leather books appeared on Robert's screen, one of them being used as a coaster for a glass of red wine. He had no idea how Mary could be slaving away at the tomes after last night, but it made him feel a little bit less of a martyr. 

_now i can die in peace ___

__**youre doing gods work, mary** _ _

___i know and its boring as fuck_ _ _

__**have fun** _ _

__Robert didn't get a reply after that, so he switched to a pizza menu that was already open in a separate tab on his phone from last time he ordered. An extra-large hawaiian was definitely starting to sound appealing right about now._ _

__\--_ _

__He hears a knock on the door and when he opens it it's Joseph. The only reason they still get separate motel rooms is because neither of them is willing to address what this is. The last ten minutes of Breakfast At Tiffany's is playing on an old box TV that doesn't work properly. Robert catches the other man watching it as he walks inside._ _

__"The cat dies at the end." He grins, and the minister looks more distraught than he should._ _

__"What?"_ _

__"God, I'm kidding Joseph." Robert chuckles, standing behind the other man and running his hands up the blond's arms. For a moment their tattoos meet, and they both forget to breathe for a moment._ _

__"Robert, please..."_ _

__"Sorry. _Gosh_ , I'm kidding Joseph." Robert moves to kiss the other's cheek but then Joseph turns his head and their lips press together._ _

__"That's not what I meant." The blond's voice is hushed and nervous because even though he's been what feels like a lifetime for this it seems there's something inside him that still wants to stop._ _

__"Are you sure? We don't have to--"_ _

__Joseph pulls Robert over to the bed, falling backwards so that the other man is leaning over him. They kiss once more._ _

__"We could die tomorrow." The blond states._ _

__"Wow, cynicism from a holy man. Now I'm _really_ hard."_ _

__A blushing Joseph gives the other man a shove in his shoulder, and Robert retaliates by assaulting him with playful kisses and bites until the minister is giggling uncontrollably. The laughter grows louder, more desperate, and suddenly the blond is sobbing._ _

__Robert leans back, alarmed, and blood is seeping into the sheets beneath them. Joseph is clutching his left arm and gasping for air as black smoke enters his mouth._ _

__"Robert...Robert..." Is all the man can seem to whimper, writhing on the bed and then suddenly he stops._ _

__"Kill me."_ _

__When Robert wakes up he's shuddering and almost crying. It's hard to swallow. He doesn't get back to sleep again._ _

__\--_ _

__Another shitty morning. Robert didn't do much with the extra hours he should have been sleeping through. He tried to whittle something but his heart wasn't in it, and eventually he managed to catch a nap whilst watching Oldboy on the couch. He woke up in the evening to the sound of his phone ringing and almost ignored it, but when he realised it wasn't a text he decided to pick up. No one called him besides Mary, and even then it was only in emergencies. He couldn't help but feel nervous when he put his mobile to his ear._ _

__"Mmm?"_ _

__"Rooooobbie!" Mary was practically yelling even though he could hear her just fine. "I'm drunk!!"_ _

__"No shit." Robert might have sounded cranky, but he was smiling to himself purely out of relief that nothing was wrong other than the fact that his friend had seemingly drank far too much._ _

__"Get your ass over here, girl! It's time to fucking CELEBRATE!"_ _

__Whilst Mary was shushed over the phone by someone, Robert tried to comprehend what he'd just been told._ _

__"Celebrate? Huh?"_ _

__"Roooooob. Roooobie. My dude. Bob--"_ _

__"Yes I'm still listening, never wasn't listening."_ _

__"Ya girl Mary found some shit, Rob. That's what's up right now."_ _

__"Like, _Joseph_ related shit?"_ _

__"Well yes if you want to get technical. If you want to get picky. If you want to--"_ _

__Robert hung up instantly, grabbing only what what was absolutely necessary to leave the house- including a pair of jeans that he wriggled into- and practically ran outside._ _

__Despite being in such a rush, he decided to walk to Jim and Kim's, hopeful enough to prepare to get very, very drunk._ _

__The second he stepped into the bar, Mary latched onto him, linking their arms and laughing at nothing._ _

__"God, Mary." Robert couldn't help but chuckle too, caught up in the excitement of a moment he didn't even fully understand yet. "Why are you so drunk?"_ _

__"The real question, mister," The woman prodded his chest, waving around a glass of red and splashing it everywhere. "Is why _aren't_ you so drunk?"_ _

__"Okay, okay. Give me a reason to drink and I will."_ _

__"Since when did you need a _reason?_ "_ _

__Scoffing, Robert gently guided her over to the bar, sitting them both down as he eyed the bartender. They already looked excessively tired of Mary's antics and now, seeing that Robert was about to join her, was probably preparing for the worst._ _

__"Alright. Okay. Listen. I was reading those shitty books for like, ten years or something, you feel me?"_ _

__Robert nodded, glad to finally be getting some sort of explanation as to what was going on._ _

__"I feel you."_ _

__"And I was reading uhh...some shit about...mmn." Seemingly whatever complex theory Mary had come across when she was sober was incomprehensible to her now. "Oh, oh yeah."_ _

__Placing her purse up on the counter with a thud, she withdrew a folded piece of paper and slipped it over to Robert like they were a couple of spies in a bad movie. He read it over as the bartender placed his usual drink in front of him, humming as he considered the notes Mary had scribbled down._ _

__"Can we...do this? Seems like, uh, Evil Dead levels of magic bullshit."_ _

__"Yooou're magic bullshit." She huffed, slamming a fist down on the bar. Despite her drunken rambling now, Robert at least trusted Sober Mary enough to know that she wouldn't get this excited over nothing._ _

__Overwhelmed with a strange mix of elation and relief, Robert hooked an arm around the woman and pulled her in close, kissing the top of her head and then chugging back his drink._ _

__"Holy shit." He gasped the second the alcohol hit the back of his throat._ _

__"Okay, okay but- but listen first." Mary slipped out of Robert's rough embrace, too drunk to protest or realise how out of character the assault had been in the first place. "We have two problems."_ _

__"What?"_ _

__"One," Mary held out a digit right in front of his face and he recoiled. "I'm gonna need a lot of chickens. Like, a _suspicious_ amount of chickens. Clearly this garbage was devised when live poultry was more readily available but either way we need those juicy chicken souls."_ _

__"Right well, we can sort that out, right?"_ _

__"Oh suuuuuure, Robert. Let me just call up all my livestock dealers I have on speed-dial, right under the guy I buy all my ILLEGAL DRUGS FROM." She yelled the last part of her sentence unnecessarily loudly, and Robert had to shush her back into submission._ _

__"Alright, alright. It's not impossible though, right?" He hissed, starting to feel as though he wasn't drunk enough for this conversation._ _

__"Mmn, no..."_ _

__"So what's the second problem?"_ _

__"Ah, yes. Coming in at number twoooo..." Flicking up a second finger and forming an incidental peace sign, Mary grimaced as though admitting to something she was guilty of. "Well, y'know...if it doesn't work it'll proooobably kill him. It'll definitely kill him."_ _

__"No. No. That's a dealbreaker."_ _

__"But--"_ _

__"But _what_ , Mary?" He was now definitely too sober for this conversation. "But 'maybe we should kill our best friend?' Is that where you were going with that?"_ _

__"Rob, honey...Joseph's already dead. Either we bring him back to life or...nn, give him some fucking peace."_ _

__" **He's not dead!** "_ _

__Robert was definitely drawing attention to himself but he didn't care, far too outraged by what Mary was very un-subtly insinuating. This wasn't the first time they'd argued over...putting Joseph out of his misery. No matter how objectively he looked at things, he just couldn't comprehend why Mary would want to give up. Caring for their friend had consumed both of their lives and turned them into depressed alcoholics, it was true, but whenever Joseph looked at him like he understood exactly what was going on, Robert couldn't think of anything but saving him._ _

__"If Joseph was here...would he give up? If it was you or me down in that fucking cave, would he just put us down like rabid fucking dogs?"_ _

__Mary remained silent, knowing better than to test an angry and painfully sober Robert._ _

__"As long as there's something we haven't tried yet," He continued, getting to his feet. "I'm not going to give up on him."_ _

__"Awh, honey, where are you gooooing?" The woman sounded a lot more sheepish now, but she latched onto Robert's wrist anyway until he tugged it away._ _

__"I want to go get drunk at home."_ _

__"Mmm...but...don't leave me here..."_ _

__Robert sighed, forcing as much of the bitterness and tension out of his body as he could. He helped Mary to her feet, holding her at the waist and waiting for her to remember how to walk._ _

__"Come on then, idiot."_ _

__\--_ _

__He's sitting out on the motel's balcony, a cigarette between his fingers and fresh bandages wrapped tight around his chest. It's almost sunrise and they have to leave soon. Mary is inside, listening to a song called Don't Forget Me on a CD player that sounds muffled through the walls. Joseph is sitting outside with him purely because he wants to, hair perfectly styled and outfit showing no signs of how difficult and messy their work is. It's a miracle in itself that he can still look so pure among all this darkness._ _

__"Shit, Joseph..." Robert sighs, grinning at him as he takes a drag. "What's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?"_ _

__"I ask myself the same thing every day." The blond replies, sipping a margarita because he's finally allowing himself to drink. "I guess I do think a lot about life would be like if I'd just taken that youth minister job. I guess it'd be easier, huh?"_ _

__"You'd be baking cookies and telling kids not to swear."_ _

__"I don't think that's a part of the job description."_ _

__"So you'd do be doing it for free, then?"_ _

__Joseph watches him with a twisted smile, nursing his glass in his hands as he replies._ _

__"Seriously though, Rob. I don't regret this. Any of it."_ _

__"Really? I kinda regret letting a demon split my chest open, for a start."_ _

__"No, no," Joseph chuckles awkwardly, glancing at the spot where Robert's wound is concealed for a moment too long. "What I mean is, if I'd taken the easy route through life...well...I'd miss you."_ _

__"What?" Robert scoffs, amused by the other man's nervousness._ _

__"...Never mind."_ _

__"Oh my God, _what_?"_ _

__"It doesn't matter!" Joseph is looking away, face bright red and wringing his hands around his drink._ _

__Robert observes him for a moment, watching the other man's hands start to tremble._ _

__"Ooooh, shit!" He's grinning now, "You wanna kiss me or something, don't you?"_ _

__" _Robert!_ " The minister's head snaps around, eyes wide with horror._ _

__"God, you're such a _nerd_ , Christiansen. I was just kidding."_ _

__"No you weren't!" Joseph snaps, calling the other man's bluff._ _

__"Oh yeah, smart guy?" Robert leans forward in his chair, starting to enjoy teasing his friend. "Maybe you're right. Not that it matters, you'd never--"_ _

__He's interrupted by a peck on his lips, though it somehow feels like he's been stabbed in the chest again. It had hardly been a second of contact but now his mouth is tingling and it feels like he's going to throw up in the best way possible. The way Joseph is looking back at him, he probably feeling the exact same way._ _

__"Holy shit." Robert mutters, no longer smiling. He hesitates, but then he's taking the other man's face in his hand, brushing the blond's cheek with his thumb. "Can we, uh, do that again?"_ _

__"Yeah."_ _

__They kiss again, deeper and more seriously than before. Joseph is melting into his arms, sighing into his mouth, but then suddenly he's limp. When Robert moves away, alarmed, black slime or blood or both is gushing from the minister's lips and staining his shirt. Robert shakes the other man's shoulders and tries to yell but his voice doesn't come out and somehow they're suddenly drowning in whatever Joseph is throwing up._ _

__Just as the black liquid rises to his mouth, he wakes up with a start._ _

__\--_ _

__"Morning, Joe." Robert yawned, stretching out one of his arms whilst the other kept a fresh cup of coffee steady. He sat in front of the demon, his chair still set up from last time he'd been down to visit._ _

__"Morning." Joseph hummed back, not trying particularly hard to hide the fact that he was completely sick of being trapped down in this cave. Robert was fairly sure he would hear the full extent of complaints soon enough, the other man was just playing reasonably nice for now so he'd get fed._ _

__"Wow, someone's snippy." He took a sip of his drink, taking one of his knives out of his jacket and turning it over in his palm. "Sounds like you need some caffeine."_ _

__"Mmm...please." He sounded weak again._ _

__It had been a while now since Joseph had consumed anything other than blood, and whilst it wasn't necessary for his survival, Robert would probably be cranky too if he had to go this long without a cup of coffee. The mug he was holding now was his second of the morning, and he had a whole pot waiting back at his kitchen, so perhaps he would be generous. He took one last sip, then walked over to the demon._ _

__"Alright, here. I'll pour it into your mouth."_ _

__The blond parted his lips and stuck out his tongue obediently, closing one eye as the murky brown liquid was tipped into his mouth and little flecks splashed up on his cheek. It was still boiling hot but of course that wasn't much of a problem, and he swallowed the coffee gladly until the mug was empty._ _

__"...Thank you." Joseph didn't sound any less tired than before and maybe just slightly less grumpy._ _

__"No problem. What can I say, I'm feeling generous today."_ _

__"Does that mean--" Joseph's eyes lit up, suddenly hopeful that he'd be fed more than just coffee and blood today._ _

__"Nope." Robert interrupted, lying though his teeth. He fully intended to give everything Joseph needed this morning because enough time had passed since the yacht incident. It was just that the meal was always more fulfilling for the demon when it thought it had seduced him into the act. Just like with a lot of this routine, it wasn't really necessary for Joseph's survival, it just made his life a little more enjoyable._ _

__"Ugh, fuck, Rob!" The minister protested, flexing against his chains. He was definitely more desperate than last time. "I need you so bad, I'm going to die..."_ _

__"Is that a fact?" Robert purred, getting closer so he could stroke Joseph's hair. "Keep going."_ _

__"I-it's been a while for you, too hasn't it?" The demon insisted, trying to approach things from a different angle. "You still save it all for me, don't you?"_ _

__"Mmhm."_ _

__This time Robert wasn't lying. Sometimes it felt like hell on Earth, but he never let himself jerk off anymore unless it was to feed Joseph. Admittedly he _was_ feeling rather tense, but that wouldn't be a problem soon._ _

__"So you have nothing to lose, right?" The blond concluded hopefully._ _

__"Sure, besides my life if you get to strong and break out of here."_ _

__"No no no! I'll be good, I promise! _Please..._ "_ _

__He'd never seen Joseph beg quite this desperately. Usually his go-to method of persuasion was just to let his hands roam to more dangerous parts of Robert's body; without that tactic he seemed far more vulnerable._ _

__Feeling a little warm from the sounds of other man's desperation, Robert lifted up his shirt, revealing an expanse of skin that was littered with dark hair and small scars. The biggest one remained prominent, jagged and unfaded, down the center of his torso and he wondered if Joseph still remembered how it had gotten there._ _

__"Okay, how about this," He reasoned to the demon, throwing his shirt to the floor and waving his knife in front of the other's face enticingly. Eventually he pressed the blade into a spot between his hipbone and his stomach, hissing he split open the sensitive patch of skin. The blood began to dribble down almost immediately, catching at the waistband of his jeans where it soaked into the fabric. "If you can show me that you have your self-control back, then _maybe_ I'll think about feeding you my cock after this."_ _

__Robert pushed closer to the other man, to the point where it was almost impossible for Joseph to avoid the blood bubbling up from the new wound. He gasped and swallowed, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at the feast he was being denied._ _

__"Don't even touch it." Robert breathed, as though his ultimatum wasn't perfectly clear already. He knew fully well how difficult it would be for Joseph, all primal and starving, to resist pressing his mouth to the cut, but that was the whole point._ _

__The minister pressed his lips together when the smell of blood hit him like a train, his hands clenching into fists behind his back. For a moment it looked like he was about to give in, his mouth mere inches from Robert's hip but then he sat back, defeated._ _

__"I thought you said you were feeling generous today?" The demon whined, eyes refusing to leave the wound._ _

__Robert simply shrugged at that, catching some of the blood on his thumb and sampling it for himself just to show it off._ _

__"Ugh!" Joseph was struggling again, his breathing heavy as he shifted from one knee to another. "And you call _me_ a demon!"_ _

__"What's wrong? You struggling? Too bad your new friend isn't here to feed you instead, right?"_ _

__"Nnh... _please_ it was just once I won't...ever..."_ _

__Joseph was trembling now, and there might even have been tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. With a sigh, Robert gently guided the demon's head forward, closing the distance between them. He assumed that the minister would understand that he was now allowed to feed but the action was misinterpreted as further torment and he just whimpered._ _

__"Go on." Robert growled, and the other man moaned, his tongue immediately pressing to the wound and lapping at whatever blood he could catch. The warm wetness against his skin drew a little gasp out of him this time, the source of the cut intentionally close to dangerous territory. He kept a hand in Joseph's hair, pushing his hip into the contact as the demon tried to reach a blood trail that had ventured underneath his waistband and further towards his groin. The incision had only been small so it was already drying up, and when the blond looked up at him with needy eyes he couldn't help but give more._ _

__"It's okay," Robert's voice was low and reassuring. "You can bite me."_ _

__The look on Joseph's face was like a child's on Christmas morning. He pressed a few, appreciative kisses on the other man's skin before gliding his mouth closer to Robert's side where he was better able to sink his teeth into warm flesh. Then he bit down _hard_."_ _

__"Nngh--fuck," Robert gasped, adrenaline rushing up his spine as the pain spread through the bottom of his torso. It was a strangely intimate feeling, and with his mind already geared towards his lusts he found that the agony was starting to melt into pleasure.  
" _Fuck_..." He pressed his free hand against the wall so he could lean forward more._ _

__Joseph either didn't notice the other man's enjoyment or he just didn't care, too busy drinking up the blood rushing from the bite. His razor-sharp canines had sunk deep into Robert's side so the crimson liquid was flowing freely, curving over his hipbone and catching in the previous knife wound. Eventually the other man's heavier breathing must have caught the minister's attention, because suddenly he was purposefully moaning to spur him on._ _

__"Mmn...you taste so good...can I have more, please?"_ _

__"Hah," Robert half laughed and half gasped, standing up properly so he could shift his jeans down to his legs and grab at his cock through his boxers. "Well since you asked so nicely..."_ _

__Joseph kissed at the bite mark he'd made, watching very carefully as Robert palmed and squeezed at his length, not much extra attention required to get him painfully hard. When he slipped down his boxers too the demon was no longer interested in blood, licking the last of it from his mouth as he re-positioned himself in front of the other man's cock and lunged forward._ _

__"Woah, woah." Robert stepped back before Joseph could catch his member in his mouth. "You know the drill. I don't want those teeth anywhere near my dick."_ _

__"Mmm, but I've been so good...just this once?"_ _

__A strange mixture of lust and sympathy drew Robert in once more, and with a shuddered sigh he let the demon press his mouth up against his cock. He hadn't let Joseph suck him off since the very beginning, back when he let the blond do whatever he wanted to satisfy his cravings. It quickly became apparent that that was a mistake- the demon had made him very...overzealous about sex and when he was feeling powerful it was a recipe for disaster. When Robert felt teeth drag themselves over the head of his dick he gasped out of both delight and fear, squeezing Joseph's hair in warning._ _

__"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." The minister withdrew for a moment to chuckle, clearly giddy from how much he was being spoiled today. In an act of apology he drew a stripe up Robert's length, sucking at the base until the other man was stroking himself alongside Joseph's attentions. When he took Robert into his mouth the sudden heat was intoxicating and they both pushed forward simultaneously, forcing the demon to take his cock right to the back of his throat. Joseph knew exactly how to respond, though, sucking as he withdrew until the other man was groaning. He could taste the pre on his tongue- a starter before the main course- and he lapped greedily at the slit on Robert's cock until the man was begging for him to stop because he was too sensitive._ _

__"Alright, alright, _fuck_ ," Robert could hardly breathe, pulling his member back into his hand so he could finish himself. This was a one-time deal and he didn't want to get too used to the feeling of Joseph's mouth, purely because he knew how much he was going to miss it. Fortunately he was close enough to the edge that he could manage with just his hand for now, squeezing and twisting until his legs were weak. _ _

__"Nn-nngh!" He gasped, pushing his cock into Joseph's waiting mouth as he shot a week's worth of cum down his throat. When he was finally spent the demon drew back, catching one last half-hearted string of milky white on his tongue and murmuring his appreciation._ _

__

__"Mmn...You know the new neighbor means nothing to me, right Rob?" Was the first thing Joseph said after smacking his lips, sounding confident and healthy and _human_._ _

__"W-what?" Robert hastily dressed himself again, completely taken aback by the demon's uncharacteristic choice of topic. Usually after feeding the blond would bombard him with dirty talk in an attempt to coax another load out of him, but this was just oddly sincere. "No one means anything to you."_ _

__"You know that's not true."_ _

__Suddenly Joseph was humming, and the other man recognised the tune as surely as he'd recognise the minister's voice. It felt so long ago that they were sitting in his truck in that diner's parking lot, making out like teenagers in front of everyone because- what- they were in love? Robert had never had a chance to ask. That morning was the last one he'd had with Joseph- the _real_ Joseph- and the song that the blond was humming now had been playing as they kissed. _ _

__Robert didn't even say goodbye. He turned and walked until the caves and tunnels just weren't there anymore and he was standing in his living room. He was trembling, though he couldn't tell if it was because he was angry or upset. Maybe both. He collapsed onto his couch, pressing a hand up to his face as he willed away the threat of tears. As if his near-constant dreams weren't already too much, now he had to cope with Joseph reminding him of their memories together too. He'd never done that before- a fact that helped Robert keep emotionally distant from the other man. This turn of events was difficult to cope with, but was it necessarily a bad thing? If Joseph was starting to talk about things from his human past, could he be fighting back?_ _

__Robert sucked in a shallow breath, poking at the bite wound on his side. If it wasn't for the two deeper canine marks, no one would know that the bite wasn't from a human._ _

__\--_ _

__"I bumped into the newbie today."_ _

__"Mm?"_ _

__Robert and Mary were sitting at their usual table at the back of Jim and Kim's, sipping their respective drinks as they always did. It had been several weeks since Joseph had kidnapped the new neighbor- who definitely wasn't that new anymore- and the demon was still chained up beneath the cul-de-sac because they couldn't agree on whether or not to let him go._ _

__"Yeah," Mary continued, leaning into her hand. "He's been hanging with Dames a lot lately. They're really cute together and I hate it."_ _

__"Did he mention anything about...y'know."_ _

__"Nope, besides asking me how Joseph is doing at 'bible camp'. General anesthetic and gaslighting really does work every time, huh?"_ _

__"Of course, its my patented method of shutting up innocents."_ _

__They both chuckled._ _

__"How is my darling husband, anyway?" Mary asked, "God knows his hellspawn are doing fine with me."_ _

__Robert hesitated. He hadn't told his friend about the changes Joseph was starting to display, purely because he knew she would only be cynical about them. At first he'd wondered if maybe the demon remembering things was just a one-off, but now it happened almost every time Robert fed him. At first it had been painful, but now he actually looked forward to the chats they had about the good old days. It was almost as though nothing had ever happened._ _

__"Well...fine. I definitely think it's time for him to come back from bible camp, if you know what I mean."_ _

__"And what makes you think that?" Mary eyed him suspiciously._ _

__"I mean, because it's been weeks, and he hasn't done anything to make me think he deserves to stay down there."_ _

__"Besides from almost eating a guy, you mean."_ _

__"What, you're just gonna dangle that over my head forever?"_ _

__" _Your_ head?" Mary was practically squinting at him. _ _

__Robert let out a long sigh. It was time to come clean._ _

__"Listen, Mary, I know it sounds stupid but...I think Joseph's getting better."_ _

__"You're right, that does sound stupid." His friend snapped back immediately. " _Fuck,_ Robert! We're talking about a demonic possession here, not a fucking _head cold_!"_ _

__"I'm serious! He's remembering things about us now, he's more...sensitive."_ _

__"Oh, Jesus Christ!" Mary groaned, running a hand down her face. "Are you actually listening to yourself right now, Rob? _Sensitive_?_ _

__"You know what I mean!" Robert was blushing, suddenly feeling extremely vulnerable. "It's almost like... he's himself again."_ _

__"Wow, doesn't that sound a little but like- I don't know- something an incubus would trick you into thinking? Are you actually insane?"_ _

__"He's tried to trick me before. This is different."_ _

__"Alright, Robert, listen." Mary bent over to reach into her purse, and suddenly she was withdrawing a hunting knife with an smooth, ivory handle. She placed the weapon on the table and pushed it towards the other man with her fingertips._ _

__"Is this--" Robert began._ _

__" _This_ is the only way we're getting Joseph back. The _real_ Joseph."_ _

__He remembered Mary talking about this a few weeks ago when she'd gotten really drunk. He didn't recall being particularly thrilled about the methodology of the idea. Before he could protest, Mary was pulling a neater version of the notes she'd shown him back then, placing the weapon on top of them and leaning over the table to force them closer to Robert's lap._ _

__"Take them, seriously."_ _

__"Mary we've been over this so many times." Robert said, "I'd rather have him as he is now than not at all."_ _

__"Oh, I'm sure you would. Because you're just that selfless aren't you? You know, caring on him must be so hard on you, huh? It must be so _hard_ tugging your dick to him once a week, right? Fuck you."_ _

__"Mary come on you know it's more complicated than--"_ _

__"You know what?" She was starting to raise her voice. "I'm fucking sick of it. I'm fucking sick of having to look after those... _things_ and pretend they're my children, not knowing how long I have until another one pops out of nowhere. I'm sick of being married to my best friend and not being able to so much glance at anyone else because people will call me a whore. I guess soon I'll be too old for all that shit anyway, huh? Well shit, if this it's going to be the rest of my life then I might as well kill myself now and save myself the effort."_ _

__"Jesus, Mary!"_ _

__Realising she was getting carried away, Mary silenced herself with a few big mouthfuls of wine._ _

__"Listen, I'm sorry." She continued, "It's just...I'm running out of ideas, you know? We've been at this for _years_ now and at some point we're gonna have to talk about a long term plan. I know you two had a thing. I'm not stupid. I know that you think I'm just being selfish and I guess I am but we can't keep this up forever."_ _

__"I'm not going to kill him, Mary. I just can't."_ _

__"I know." Mary took Robert's hand in her own. Her small palms were soft and somehow soothing. "But take it. Just in case."_ _

__She placed his hand over the knife._ _

__\--_ _

__He's pressing ink into the back of his palm with a long, silver needle. Mary is lying on her stomach on his bed, kicking her legs back and forth as she marks locations on a huge map with red marker. She's playing The Misfits out of the motel's shitty CD player that sounds too tinny, but somehow it's still okay. There's a sheet of plastic fixed to the small of her back because her tattoo is still fresh._ _

__Joseph is sitting next to him at the table, taking worried glances from Robert's hands to his own arm, the sleeve of his polo rolled up and a mark that looks exactly like Mary's branded on his skin. Robert re-dips the needle in the ink that Joseph has already consecrated for him, continuing to mark out the pattern that the other two already have. For a second the two make eye contact, but it's only a little awkward. They haven't known each other for very long, but there's a mutual understanding between them purely because they've both witnessed dark things that other people refuse to believe in. Robert calls them cryptids, Joseph calls them demons. It doesn't really make a difference._ _

__"Are you...sure about this?" The blond asks._ _

__"Bit too late for second thoughts, Christiansen." Robert looks up and the minister looks pitifully worried, so he tries to do a better job at reassuring him. "But it's better to be safe, right?"_ _

__"Yeah, it's funny though," Joseph replies, "Before I started this I was more afraid of the things I didn't understand. Now I know how to protect us from those things, whether I understand them or not. But holy seals can't protect you from guns or knives."_ _

__Robert can't help but smile at that sentiment. He's said before that he doesn't fear death and Joseph always calls it tragic._ _

__"Well, that's what I'm here for." He flexes jokingly, but it's not as funny as it could be because he's actually pretty well built. "I'm your human meat shield."_ _

__"What? No!" Joseph is laughing._ _

__"Seriously, though. At the risk of sounding sentimental, there's a reason we're doing this together. We have to look out for each other otherwise we're definitely going to die."_ _

__"Wow, real optimistic, Rob." Mary is listening now, facing them and leaning back on her arms. She's grinning just as much as Robert and Joseph are._ _

__"Yeah, well how about you go fuck yourself?" Robert snorts back. He and Mary have known each other for a long time and he's obviously joking, but Joseph still prickles a little at the harsh language._ _

__"Listen," Robert continues to the minister, piercing his own hand a few more times as he speaks. "We're partners now. And I refuse to watch another person I care about die in front of me." He dips the needle in the ink. "You're gonna be alright, kid."_ _

__When he looks up he expects to see the other man relieved, but there's someone he doesn't recognise holding the blond by the throat, the other hand on his arm. His feet aren't even touching the ground because he's being held up by the stranger's inhuman strength. The man he doesn't know looks him dead in the eyes, and when he speaks his voice sounds low and twisted._ _

__"Just in case."_ _

__\--_ _

__Unbelievably, when Robert came to visit Joseph this morning, he found him sleeping. Since he and Mary still hadn't come to an agreement on how long he was going to be down here, he'd taken the initiative to make the cavern a little more comfortable. There were more pillows propped up behind his back and he'd brought down the few books he owned, which wasn't much but it was better than nothing. Robert had even risked loosening Joseph's chains a little so he could move his hands enough to read, because at this point if the blond meant him harm he would have found a way to do so without the use of his arms._ _

__Robert sat down next to him on the mattress, their shoulders touching, and the sudden shift in weight caused the other man to slowly open his eyes._ _

__"Oh." Joseph breathed as he smiled, and the sudden sense of deja vu at the sight of him was bittersweet._ _

__"Were you actually asleep just now?"_ _

__"Mm, I felt like it."_ _

__"Huh."_ _

__Robert lit up a cigarette, leaning his head back against the stone as he thought for a moment. He'd never seen the demon sleep before._ _

__"Joseph, do you..." He wasn't quite sure how to word his question properly. "Do you feel better?"_ _

__"I do now that you're here."_ _

__"No, I mean," Robert was doing a poor job at concealing his smile. "In general. Does something feel different?"_ _

__The blond paused._ _

__"I feel...lighter? It feels like...something really bad happened, but I don't remember what it is so it doesn't matter."_ _

__"That's good."_ _

__The two sat in silence for a while, Robert turning his cigarette to ash one drag at a time._ _

__"Do you hate me?" Joseph asked suddenly, staring down into his lap, and the other man turned to him._ _

__"What?"_ _

__"Because I'm a bad person?"_ _

__"You're not--" Robert hesitated. This was a difficult topic. "You're not a bad person. You're just sick."_ _

__"But you still hate me."_ _

__"No!" He took the blond's face in his hand, stroking his hair and throwing his cigarette away. "I...I just miss you."_ _

__Joseph leaned in closer, chains rattling as he put his weight on his hands. He glanced down to Robert's mouth and swallowed._ _

__"But I'm right here."_ _

__Suddenly they were kissing, Joseph slowly moving his lips against the other man's as he sighed longingly. It had been far too long since they'd done this but it felt exactly the same as before, like the minister had been away for a very long time and was finally home. It was a warm, sweet gesture even though Robert's lips tasted like smoke, and they were both quickly growing more desperate._ _

__"Do you think--" The blond tried to say, but he was interrupted by another peck on the lips. Despite everything he turned his head away._ _

__"No...I don't think we should do this." Joseph sighed. "I mean, I want to, I _really_ want to, but not like this. I mean, look at me."_ _

__He moved his hands and the chains he was bound to rattled again cruelly._ _

__"I want you to trust me first."_ _

__Robert watched the other man for a while, his mind painfully torn in two directions. Basking in the thrill of their kiss he didn't want to do anything rash, and he definitely didn't want to let Mary down. It was just that something about all this felt undeniably _right_. _ _

__"Fuck it." He breathed, getting to his feet and moving to where a single key was hung up on a hook in the wall. "I can't watch you rotting down here any more."_ _

__He unlocked the shackles around Joseph's wrists, the red marks left by the metal gradually fading from his skin._ _

__"I don't know if I can let you leave," Robert said, "But at least you can stretch your legs for a little while now."_ _

__"I--"_ _

__"Hey, it's okay. Let's get you standing first."_ _

__Hooking an arm under Joseph's shoulder, Robert tried to help the other man to his feet, but he was heavy and weak and they only got about half way before they both fell back down into the mattress._ _

__"Nn...too hungry."_ _

__"Good thing I'm here then, huh?"_ _

__With a smirk, Robert kissed the minister again, and it took a moment before Joseph remembered he could move and wrapped his arms around the other's neck. The blond's mouth tasted like dried blood in a strangely intoxicating way, and Robert couldn't help but flick out his tongue to graze the other man's bottom lip. Joseph reciprocated immediately, pressing their tongues together until their kissing was loud and messy. Robert could feel the blond sucking and nibbling at his lips, drawn to their warmth and the steady pulse that was just under his skin._ _

__"Go on." He breathed into the other man's mouth, gently pulling Joseph into his lap as he felt a sudden, sharp pressure on his bottom lip. The minister was biting down on his mouth, pinching the sensitive skin between his canine and his bottom row of teeth until it was pierced and blood started to flow. Then they were kissing again, the taste of metal turning Joseph mindless and feral as he sought out every single drop of crimson. When he bit Robert's mouth again, the other man gasped, the pain making him shiver delightedly as heat pooled between his legs. Despite Joseph's sucking bringing blood to the surface of the other man's mouth, the wounds were clotting too quickly and weren't bleeding enough. Now, if anything, he was more hungry than before and so without warning he was lifting up Robert's shirt and kissing at his chest. A gliding tongue explored tan skin as Joseph searched for the best place to bite next, eventually catching a nipple in his mouth and tugging at it teasingly._ _

__"Ggh- fuck!" Robert gasped, his hips shifting forward involuntarily as he accustomed himself to the near-painful attention to the dangerously sensitive spot on his chest. The sound caused Joseph to pause and glance up, seemingly concerned, but then the sight of the other man's mouth all swollen and messy with smeared blood coaxed him into continuing. He rolled his tongue over Robert's nipple one last time before sinking his teeth into the skin around it, drawing a long, broken grunt out the other man. Robert tipped his head back against the wall, grimacing as the stinging in his chest sent a flood of warmth right to his crotch._ _

__"Robert," Joseph smiled, naturally sounding far stronger now. "If you keep making noises like that you're going to make me hungry for something else."_ _

__This should have been the point where Robert feigned coyness, but seeing the blond all flushed and happy and with his wounds still throbbing delightfully, he didn't have the self-control to deny him even for a moment._ _

__"There's probably a few things I can do about that." He purred in response, lightly tracing a few fingers up Joseph's spine before sliding off of the wall and laying into the mattress. "Turn around."_ _

__The blond licked his lips clean, his eyes flashing with excitement as though he knew exactly where this was going. He did as instructed, shifting so his back was now facing Robert as he sat on his hips. Joseph ran his hands from the other man's raised knees down to his thighs, testing to see how close he could venture towards the tent in Robert's jeans before he started to shift uncomfortably as a result. The other man tugged the blond's hips closer, forcing Joseph onto his hands and knees as his slacks and underwear were tugged down to his knees._ _

__"Mmn!" He gasped as the cold air hit his bare skin, and Robert grazed his teeth against the delicate skin at the top of the inside of his thigh. It had been a while since his body had been paid any attention and it seemed that the neglect had made him incredibly sensitive, already starting to shake as Robert smoothed his hands over Joseph's ass and spread him open._ _

__"Take off my jeans." Robert demanded, and as soon as the other man was distracted he rolled his tongue over the minister's entrance. The sound Joseph made in response was an almost inaudible whimper, clinging to Robert's thighs as though his life depended on it. Still, after taking a moment to compose himself he managed to work through the overwhelming sensation of the other man eating him out, eventually stripping his partner down and taking his cock in his hand. He tried his best to pay it attention, pressing his lips to the head and giving a few testing flicks with his tongue, but he was incredibly distracted and kept having to pause every time a wave of pleasure hit him. When Robert began to press his tongue inside Joseph he sobbed and the tension had him squeezing the other man too hard, but if anything his partner seemed to enjoy the roughness._ _

__After a moment Robert withdrew to enjoy the other man licking and sucking his cock, giving the minister's balls an appreciative squeeze that had Joseph's length twitching in response. Then, after making sure his fingers were slick with saliva, he pressed the middle digit up against the blond's entrance and then inside him._ _

__"This- mmh- might kinda hurt." Robert warned, definitely not prepared to interrupt things to go get lube, but Joseph simply keened and curved his back, pressing the other's finger deeper inside him._ _

__"I-I don't care..." The blond gasped, a single drop of pre falling from the head of his cock and onto the other mans stomach as Robert ruthlessly teased his prostate. "I don't care if it hurts I want it to hurt I- ahh- I just need _more_!"_ _

__In response Robert curved his finger cruelly, and Joseph muffled the resulting cry by wrapping his lips around the other man's dick once more. This time he was more focused, swirling his tongue around Robert's shaft down to the base and massaging his balls as though he was trying to force a load out of him._ _

__" _Fuck_ , slow down," Robert moaned, wanting to draw the moment out for as long as possible and concerned by the urgent throb of pleasure between his legs. Despite his protests, he slipped another finger into Joseph, thrusting and flexing the digits until the other man was actually drooling. His saliva was tinged with Robert's blood._ _

__"N-no..."_ _

__Joseph was rocking up against the other's hand now, slapping Robert's length against his mouth and catching precum on his tongue as it trailed down his shaft. Robert was now pressing his lips together, tense and trembling as he actively tried to will away his impending orgasm. He wasn't ready to cum yet, not like this, but the blond seemed to have lost control and was doing everything in his power to bring his partner to climax._ _

__"J-Joseph!" He gasped out as the other man gently bit the head of his cock. There wasn't enough willpower in the world to prevent his orgasm now, and with one final gasp he shot several stripes of thick cum into the blond's waiting mouth. As Robert writhed and thrusted his hips he forced his fingers up against Joseph's prostate again and then suddenly he was cumming too, sobbing as Robert's stomach was hit with a copious amount of the hot, white fluid._ _

__"F-fuck, I wanted to..." Robert trailed off, post-orgasmic bliss dulling his disappointment at not being able to go any further. It took him a moment to realise why his cock was still throbbing near-painfully, and when he opened his eyes he saw that Joseph was still frantically tugging at his length, refusing to let the other man go soft._ _

__"Wait, wait," He winced, trying to throw the blond off him though his efforts were resisted._ _

__"Shhh," Joseph soothed him with a kiss to the inside of his thigh, sucking at the skin until a red patch was left in his wake. "You can go for at least one more round, right?"_ _

__"We...shouldn't..."_ _

__"No, no...It'll be okay." The minister reached over and began to finger himself once Robert withdrew, cooing as he showed off for his partner and knowing exactly how tempting of a prize he was making himself seem. "You were hoping to shove your cock in me, right? Mmmn, I really want that too, Rob. I want you to make me _scream_."_ _

__The blond sunk his teeth into the other man's thigh, tearing at the flesh a little before he finally let go. Robert shuddered out a groan, unable to believe that he was getting turned on again by such violent treatment._ _

__"Ugh, fine..." He finally conceded, letting Joseph turn around and position himself above his length. He sunk onto his dick slowly, whimpering as saliva made the penetration only minimally bearable. Robert took a hold of the other's hips, forcing him down until his entire length was engulfed in a tight warmth that was already way too much._ _

__"Mmmh, that's it..." Joseph leaned forward, pressing his lips to the other man's neck and pushing his half-hard cock into the cooling cum on Robert's chest. "I'm still _so_ hungry...so I'm going to make sure you fuck me hard."_ _

__He kissed sweetly at the other's throat, marking his skin as he began to roll his hips. He could feel the vibrations of Robert's short, shallow breaths and they spurred him on to go faster, setting a brutal pace that obscured his vision with bright white spots and made him sob. Suddenly he was sinking his teeth into the other's neck, biting deeper than he ever had before and only letting go when Robert was moaning a little too excessively. There was already a lot of blood when he withdrew- it spurted out in time with his heartbeat and pooled in the dip behind his clavicle and yet with one more rough thrust Robert was cumming in Joseph's ass, whimpering as his eyes rolled back in pure ecstasy._ _

__"God, you're so beautiful like this, Rob." Joseph sighed, lifting some of the blood up on his fingers and sucking on them. "How do you expect me to stop when you look so perfect? You must have been born to feed me."_ _

__Robert could hardly think, dazed from his second orgasm and his steady loss of blood. All he could focus on was the sustained warmth around his cock, and how Joseph was starting to tug at his unharmed nipple. He mustered the strength to thrust up, and the blond definitely liked that because suddenly he was being ridden even more ferociously than before._ _

__"Hn-hnn- come on Rob, I know you've got more for me, mmh, you fucking whore."_ _

__Joseph was getting flustered again too, eyes half open and grinning devilishly as sweat began to bead on his forehead and drop onto his chest. He grabbed his cock as it began to leak precum, teasing his slit and biting down onto his bottom lip as he watched Robert bleed out beneath him._ _

__"How does it- mm-feel to know I'm gonna cum to you like this, Robbie? Can you believe that your sweet, precious Joseph gets off to watching people in pain? Oooh _fuck_!"_ _

__The minister shot off another load onto Robert's face and the other man flinched, sobbing as tears pricked at his eyes from the pain and over-sensitivity. When Joseph leaned forward and bit into his shoulder the sound he made was inaudible, and his belly exploded with white-hot pleasure as he came for the third time. He let out only a minimal amount of cum this time, but the blond still hummed appreciatively as he finally slipped of of Robert's length and settled between his legs._ _

__"Oh, you've done _so_ well, Rob." Joseph purred, biting up the back of the other man's twitching thigh. "I think I have room for one more meal, though."_ _

__"N-no...please..." Robert croaked out, though he had little interest in getting away. His dick was red and swollen and soaked in his his own jizz, and the blond only had to blow on the head to have him trembling and gasping again._ _

__"No? But your poor cock wants more attention, doesn't it?"_ _

__The minister took the other man's member roughly, pain the only thing that was registering in his mind any more._ _

__"You're gonna cum again for me, aren't you? Because you love me, right?"_ _

__He pumped his fist brutally until Robert's tears broke loose and tumbled down his cheeks, his entire body drenched in sweat. At last he gasped and his hips shuddered and spasmed, but despite reaching his fourth orgasm his cock was unable to produce anything more._ _

__"Huh, too bad."_ _

__All things considered, Joseph didn't sound that disappointed. He kissed Robert's stomach and then got to his feet, standing over the other man who was still bleeding from his neck._ _

__"You'll wanna do something about that." The blond remarked, pointing to the same spot on his own neck as if Robert didn't already know exactly where the damage was. "I'd rather you didn't die just yet."_ _

__Still completely nude, he started to wander off, but the wounded man was trying to sit up and that caught Joseph's attention._ _

__"W-where...are you going?"_ _

__"Just going for a little walk, honey. But I know you'll know where to find me."_ _

__As the demon disappeared from view, Robert fell back onto the stone floor._ _

__\--_ _

__Mary had tried to warn him about this, all of it, and yet Robert had still decided to be a total fucking idiot. Now he was paying for it._ _

__He was speeding in his truck, a crude bandage taped to his neck and his fingers clenched around the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. The demon was practically overflowing with energy now and the entire town was at his mercy. It was unclear how long Robert had been passed out for, right now he was just glad he'd woken up at all. He hadn't even bothered to clean up, he'd simply thrown on some clothes and gotten onto the road to chase after Joseph._ _

___But I know you'll know where to find me._ _ _

__That much, at least, was true. He needed to get back to the demon before he did something awful._ _

__As he approached the town's overlook his breath caught in his throat. The minister was standing there, his dark silhouette eclipsing the setting sun and casting beams of light in all directions around him. It was an ironically heavenly sight, and it made his stomach twist with hatred for this creature that was _definitely_ not the man he loved. He parked up right behind the blond, who didn't even react, and stepped out onto the grass. _ _

__"It's always been nice up here, hasn't it?" Joseph mused, staring out to the bay._ _

__"Fuck you."_ _

__The minister sighed and shook his head, finally turning around. He was back in his clerical robes that he seemed insistent on wearing, a patch of dried blood marking the spot where Mary had stabbed him so long ago. He lifted himself up and sat on the hood of the truck, patting the spot next to him invitingly. He could probably see that Robert was swaying slightly, weak and light-headed from the blood-loss. Wordlessly, he sat down next to the demon._ _

__"You're a good lay, Robert. I'm serious. But you're not very bright, are you?"_ _

__"I thought..."_ _

__"You thought he was fighting me. Yeah, I got that. Just because I can't read your mind it doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in your head. You're not exactly a subtle kind of guy. But _seriously_ , Robert? You thought, what, that you were fighting me with _the power of love_? What a cliche."_ _

__Robert had found a pack of cigarettes in his pocket and was lighting one up now, gazing down at all the tiny houses below them. He wondered where Mary was right now- at least he'd had the sense to let her know what had happened and where he was going before he'd got here. Surely she would arrive soon, and they would deal with this problem together._ _

__"You know," Joseph continued, "I've been alive ever since humans first acknowledged the existence of God. That's was a long, long time ago. I've inhabited countless people since then- thousands, maybe. Almost all of them had people who loved them, who begged me to release them from my control. I hate to burst your bubble, Robert, but the way you feel about Joseph isn't anything special. And it definitely isn't enough to kill me. You probably realise this by now, but none of what I said was ever the man you knew. I just have his memories, I know how to be him. I figured I should keep that trick up my sleeve until I was in a tight spot, but I didn't think you'd be won over by my acting that quickly. Then again, I've already remarked on your intelligence, haven't I?" The demon paused. "Can I have a cigarette?"_ _

__Robert eyed him, and wordlessly passed the carton and his lighter._ _

__"Hah, you're a good guy." Joseph grinned, lighting a smoke up and breathing in the tobacco. "And I mean it when I say you're a good lay. I don't think you can even comprehend how much of a compliment that is coming from someone like me. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I've actually ever exclusively fed off of one person for this long. I guess, in a weird way, it's like you're my first ever boyf--"_ _

__The demon stopped, because Robert had pulled out a knife and shoved it in the other man's back._ _

__"Sorry, you were boring me." He murmured around his cigarette._ _

__Immediately, the blond grabbed Robert by the throat, lifting him up with ease and throwing him through the truck's windscreen. There was a colossal smash as glass shards were sent flying in all directions and Robert landed length-ways across both of the seats. He didn't move._ _

__"Alright, Robert, that's fine. I was _going_ to give you a poetic death but if you really want to be slaughtered like a pig instead then who am I to deny you of your dying wish?"_ _

__Joseph was crawling through the broken windshield like something that wasn't human, and finally Robert stirred as he recovered from the shock of the attack. When he saw the demon getting closer he panicked, his legs scrambling for purchase as he tried to sit up. At one point he accidentally kicked the old tape player in his van and a familiar song started playing that actually caused the blond to pause for a moment._ _

__"'Let's Stay Together?' _Really_? God, you're so pathetic."_ _

__"Maybe," Robert gasped, taking out another knife because the one he'd used before was still embedded in the other man's back. "But I'm really fucking good with a knife."_ _

__He lunged at the demon, catching his neck and drawing a line of dark blood across his skin. The wound healed almost immediately but he continued to attack, puncturing the demon's chest as he climbed on top of him._ _

__"Stop, stop, stop." Joseph sighed, as though he were dealing with a child, grabbing the other man's wrist and disarming him with ease. "Robert, you pumped me full of enough cum back there to last me for weeks. Was your plan really just to come out here and stab me? You have a better chance at _annoying_ me to death." _ _

__The minister pulled the first knife out of his back with a little grunt of pain, throwing that one away too._ _

__"You know, now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I _want_ to kill you yet. It seems silly to throw away my favourite meal over such a petty squabble, especially before I've found a way out of this awful fucking town. Then again, maybe I could rope that new guy into some kind of mutual--"_ _

__Robert had shoved a third knife into his gut, and this time the demon's brow furrowed._ _

__"God, you're a miserable fucker when you're yourself." Robert grumbled, even managing to smirk. "No wonder you're always pretending to be someone else."_ _

__"Okay, yeah. You're right. This is a waste of time." He withdrew the blade slowly, and then stabbed it into Robert's wrist, pinning his left hand to the seat that once upon a time the two had kissed on. The man screamed beneath him, tears immediately appearing on his face as he flexed his fingers out of pure agony._ _

__"Not as much of a masochist now, huh?" Joseph's voice was cruel now, unrestrained. "It was nice feeding off you, Robert. I think I'll make your intestines our parting meal."_ _

__Even now, Robert was reaching for one last knife inside his jacket. Joseph beat him to it, snatching it and balancing it in his palm. It was a hunting knife with a smooth, ivory handle._ _

__"Let's just get this out of the way right now, huh?"_ _

__Joseph stabbed the knife into his own stomach, even twisting it just to prove a point that the metal meant absolutely nothing to him. He lowered his eyelids and chuckled, running a hand over Robert's hair as he heard the man begin to mumble something in Latin._ _

__"Praying? I think it's a little late for that, honey, but it's a nice--"_ _

__The demon froze, eyes wide as his hands began to tremble and black liquid began to bead from the point the ivory knife had punctured him._ _

__"Fuck you, Joseph." Robert gasped, placing his hand over the knife's handle and twisting it even deeper. "I'm a _great_ lay."_ _

__The blond spluttered up black liquid, his entire body shaking as darkness twisted into the knife's handle like ink in water and gradually turned it to the colour of ebony. Then he collapsed on top of Robert, breathing but unconscious. It was over._ _

__"Okay," Robert's voice was hardly audible. His wrist was leaking blood he couldn't afford to lose, and his vision was starting to fade. Still he managed to put his free hand to the back of Joseph's head, stroking it lovingly. "You've been so brave. Now all you have to do is stay alive."_ _

__The last thing he heard as he passed out was the sound of Let's Stay Together fading into silence._ _

__\--_ _

__He's sitting at the bar inside a hotel he doesn't remember the name of. Next to him is Mary- his best and only friend. She's drinking wine, he's drinking whiskey. David Bowie is playing quietly from a speaker that's hidden away somewhere, and it's almost entirely drowned out by the collective noise of chatter and conversation._ _

__Suddenly she nudges him and Robert turns, watching as a slightly nervous-looking blond man walks into the room. His eyes scan the bar as though he's searching for something, and then he spots the two of them. After hesitating for a second he starts to wander over, and Mary scoffs into her drink._ _

__"Oh boy, here we go."_ _

__When the stranger is close enough, he clears his throat. He's in a black dress shirt and pants and wearing a clerical collar._ _

__"Are you two Mary and Robert?" He sounds exactly as anxious as he looks._ _

__Mary opens her mouth but Robert beats her to the punch._ _

__"What the fuck are you talking about?" He hisses, casting a bitter look at him._ _

__The blond falters and starts to apologise, but soon the two of them are laughing._ _

__"It's _Robert and Mary_." Robert snickers, "We flipped a coin on the order."_ _

__"It's very important to him, sweetie, so just play along." Mary is smiling around the rim of her wine glass._ _

__"O-oh," Even the stranger is laughing, and he sits up beside them at the bar. "Well, I saw your ad in the paper and..."_ _

__"What's your name?" Mary asks._ _

__"Oh, it's Joseph Christiansen."_ _

__"Huh. A little on the nose, but I'll take it." Robert says. "Mary and Joseph. Wow. I'm starting to feel like a bit of a third wheel. Do you two need a moment?"_ _

__Joseph is chuckling despite himself, and Mary almost chokes on her drink because she's laughing too._ _

__"So," He continues, "You wanna fight monsters, huh?"_ _

__"No," Joseph replies. "I want to kill the fu-- I want to kill them."_ _

__"Yeah," Robert leans back against the bar with a grin. "We're gonna get along just fine."_ _

__\--_ _

__Robert woke up to the sound of a song he didn't recognise. He didn't register where he was at first but he definitely felt comfortable, and he couldn't help but consider the option that he might have died. He turned his head, and Joseph was lying next to him, staring at the ceiling with a bandage wrapped around his stomach. When he noticed Robert shifting he looked back, his expression empty and confused._ _

__"You look... old."_ _

__It was like hearing Joseph's voice for the first time. Now Robert understood what a poor imitation the demon had been. He didn't even bother holding back the tears, laughing and crying at the same time and wishing he had the strength to roll on top of the other man and kiss him._ _

__"Yeah, well you don't look too hot yourself, cowboy."_ _

__Joseph smiled, but he didn't seem to understand why Robert was crying. He reached out and touched the other man's palm._ _

__"Did something bad happen?"_ _

__Robert looked around with his limited perspective. Mary was asleep on a chair in the corner, an empty glass tilted in her hand and a patch of red wine staining the carpet at her feet. She had a mountain of medical supplies in her lap. They were at her house._ _

__"Yeah, but it's alright now."_ _

**Author's Note:**

> i made a playlist of all the songs / media mentioned for ppl who are curious to what they sounded like for extra MOOD // https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKo7Wi6LYvjMyX2RC_qlUebqlVtyl_l6a
> 
> i hope you liked it!! i feel kinda iffy abt the pacing of this one but it might just be bc its 4am and ive been staring at this too long.......either way im done LOL i just wanted a happy ending even if it came too soon rip
> 
> by the way if you happen to have any ddadds fic requests please let me know!! i wanna write mooore!! preferably stuff involving rob bc hes my fav but im definitely open to exploring other characters :-) ty!!


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